


Promise Me Goodbye

by kiranosaurusrex



Category: Kamen Rider Gaim
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 09:56:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5864776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiranosaurusrex/pseuds/kiranosaurusrex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place after the series and Gaiden 1+2.</p>
<p>Jonouchi says goodbye to Hase.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promise Me Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> These boys are nuts. 
> 
>  
> 
> I had to get this out of my system after watching the series. Filing this under my personal #gaimofthrones tag.
> 
> First ever Gaim ficlet I wrote. I hope to write more in the future, will have to experiment with characters a bit before that.
> 
>  
> 
> Originally written for the "Fanfic Shiritori" game on Livejournal.
> 
> Starting words: “Don’t you dare drop any more cakes on the floor today.”

“Don’t you dare drop any more cakes on the floor today.” The warning was followed by a couple of loud noises from the kitchen and the sound of Jonouchi’s frantic apologizing. It was a normal day at the Charmant cafe. Well, as normal as it could get in Zawame City that is.

After taking yet another (playful) beating from Oren, Jonouchi went out to the back of the new cafe and leaned against the wall. The other had probably gone easy on him for once because today was a special day. Today, Jonouchi just couldn’t get himself to focus enough for anything. It pissed him off and yet he couldn’t want wouldn’t do anything against it.

He had to deal with these feelings. He had to live with them.

Looking at his hands he clenched them into fists. All of them, everyone who had been involved in the whole Helheim mess, had blood on their hands. All of them had to deal with the demons of their past in some way. Such was the fate of the survivors.

Jonouchi had tried to find redemption. He had donned the Kurokage armor to fight but he’d lost. He hadn’t been able to do the one he had tried to honor any justice at all.

It only added to his guilt. And all the other conflicting emotions that were resurfacing now. Now that he no longer had anything else to think about, anything to distract him, to keep him from avoiding these things. Now that he had the time to remember.

Changing out of his work uniform and into normal street clothes, the former leader of Invitto made his way towards the city center. On the way he stopped at a flower shop and at Drupers.

He put the flowers and parfait down by the fountain and sat down on the steps by the pillars - approximately where things had happened according to Takatora. “Hey Hase-chan. How are you doing?” Jonouchi whispered softly. “You having fun wherever you are now? I hope you do.” He looked across the square and found a few members of what used to be Raid Wild not too far away, dancing. It was probably their own tribute to their former leader.

Jonouchi had gone to tell the team after confirming things with Takatora. And despite the team having abandoned their previous leader so easily, none of them had been able to deny some sort of lingering attachment to the hotheaded, brash Hase.

Just like Jonouchi.

Leaning back, Jonouchi closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the water in the fountain.

“Lingering attachment, huh? To me?”

Eyes snapping open, Jonouchi blinked when he suddenly found himself in the middle of a forest. How had he gotten here? And most importantly-

“Hase-chan,” the name almost died on his tongue. His throat suddenly became dry.

There he stood. Raid Wild’s former leader hadn’t changed. His hair was still slicked back and he still worse his team’s leather jacket. A small grin was tugging up the corners of his lips.

“Yo, Jonouchi. Never thought you’d miss me.”

It took Jonouchi a few moments before he found his voice again. He swallowed and then looked down. “This must be a dream. Some kind of hallucination. I wonder if some of the flowers I got were weird. Who knows what that florist brought in.”

“Hallucinations are pretty bad, let me tell you about that.” Hase stretched. “Oh and yeah this is some sort of dream thing. Kazuraba tried to explain this to me but I didn’t really get it. But he said it’s the only way we can communicate with each other now.” He shrugged. Then poked the other. “Thanks for the parfait but those flowers are weird. And you even had the florist put a pine cone on the wrapping. I should throw that one at your head.”

“Hase-chan, what-” Jonouchi looked at the other incredulously. What on earth was going on?

Crossing his arms, Hase sighed. “I know I’m dead. Don’t be so shocked. And yeah, it’s no thanks to you that I’m like this now. But I don’t blame you, Jonouchi. Because I understand why you did it. It was your way of looking for strength.” He smiled. “That’s what brought us together in the first place, didn’t it? We had the same goal. We just went about different ways to reach it. You made a mistake on the way and so did I. So, well, it’s not just entirely your fault I ended up like this. So don’t worry about it anymore, okay?”

“But-” Jonouchi avoided the other’s gaze again. How could Hase smile at him? After all he’d done. “You’d have every right to.”

“You know that I don’t think about things like that too much, right? And I just told you, it wasn’t just your fault. Also, I was told that only the weak blame others for their own mistakes. And I am not a weakling. No, I totally didn’t talk to Kaito too much while being stuck in this wherever we are.” Hase huffed. “It’s just that there’s no one el-”

The rest of his complaint was cut off when Jonouchi threw himself at the taller male and hugged him fiercely, burying his face in Hase’s elaborately decorated shirt. “I’m sorry, Hase-chan. For all it’s worth. I’m sorry.”

Poking the other’s cheek, Hase remarked, “You’ve changed, Jonouchi.” His voice softened and his hand came to rest on top of the other’s head, caressing gently. “You’re crying.”

“Just let me show you my feelings, you idiot.” Jonouchi tried to sound angry but it wasn’t really working because soft sobs were making his voice shake slightly. “I miss you, Hase-chan. Things aren’t the same without you around.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here now. Well, we’re here now.” Hase gently pushed the other away a little bit but ended up almost shoving Jonouchi away from him. He’d always had a problem with controlling his strength. He did try, though. “You can’t do that anymore, Jonouchi.”

Jonouchi looked at the taller male. “What do you mean?”

“You can’t because if you keep doing it, neither of us will be able to move on.” Hase said. “You need to accept that I’m gone and I won’t be coming back. Some part of you is still hoping that I’ll just pop up again. A part of you is still denying the truth because you’ve only been told that I was dead and didn’t see it for yourself. You’ve always been one for the facts, I know. So I’m here to show you.”

“You’re not making any sense. You’re telling me you’re gone while you’re holding me. I find it very hard to believe. I mean I’m touching you. You’re wa-” Jonouchi stopped. No. That was wrong. The other wasn’t warm. Suddenly it dawned on him. Hase didn’t feel real.

“Did your brain finally catch up?” Hase crossed his arms. “This isn’t reality. This is all just in your head. I didn’t know you had a forest in your head.”

As if on cue, a couple of pine cones dropped from somewhere above them.

Catching one of them, Hase played with it, tossing it up and catching it again. “Okay, I think we’re running out of time. I shouldn’t stay here too long.” He closed the gap between himself and Jonouchi again and pushed the other against one of the trees. “Promise me that this will be goodbye.” Hase smiled again. “It won’t be forever. I’ll just go ahead and you’ll follow whenever.”

“Hase-chan,” Jonouchi shook his head. “I can’t. It’s not that easy!”

“You can do it. Never give up, remember?” Hase cupped Jonouchi’s cheek with one hand. “It will be fine.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against the shorter male’s gently.

Wrapping his arms around Hase’s neck, Jonouchi pulled the other closer and returned the kiss desperately. He wanted this to be real, even if he know it wasn’t. He wanted…

He knew he had to savour this moment, this last caress, this last goodbye that the other was giving him. Jonouchi had to break the kiss when another soft sob fell from his lips. “You better wait for me wherever it is that you’re going.”

“Sure thing.” Hase smiled and then pulled away. His form was starting to glow and then it grew more and more transparent before starting to dissolve into small, bright yellow sparkles. “I’ll wait for you. And then we can search for our strength together again.” He did a mock salute and then Hase’s upper body disappeared as well, leaving Jonouchi alone in the strange forest.

At least for a few moments.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes before opening again and when he did, he was back in Zawame by the fountain.

Pushing himself up, Jonouchi left without looking back. That’s what he had promised after all. To let go of the past and to move forward. He used the sleeve of his cardigan to wipe away the tears on his cheeks. “Goodbye, Hase-chan.”

Jonouchi left, leaving behind a bright pink and yellow bouquet of flowers and an empty parfait glass with a dark brownish-black pine cone sitting on top of it.


End file.
